Show TELEPHONES TELEPHONES' INDEPENDENT d' d i By Frederic Fr deric J. J Haskin other Industry In America has ox- ox more rapidly than that of NO applying the tho people with telephone communication Yearn ago nearly the entire tel telephone huffiness business of t the lu lunation nation wa In the tho hands of one company and Its allied organizations Tho rb growth of 01 that company has been one of the re remarkable features of the Industrial expansion ex cx- of the past score of years yet It has not been able to keep pace with the great growth of the d Independent lines It has telephones In service service ser ser- vice and operates lines of or wire There art art- independent companies and they have nearly telephones The In Independents Independents' Independent In- In dependents dependent declare tIt that they are In better shape today than thian ever before hut but as they occupy 1 4 mainly the rural fields there is little room for further conflict on flu c t. t The stronghold of the independent lines is in the middle west where the rural telephone has become such an important factor in the life of the prosperous far far- mer In many cases the man living five or ten miles from froni the city or in the center cen cen- center ter of his own vast fields of wheat and corn has fo found nd it to his advantage to construct his o own rn line to the nearest tele tele- exchange lie He has been able to do this at comparatively small expense for labor tabor utilizing his farm hands during dull seasons This Independent policy h has s naturally given glen an impetus to the independent telephone companies and andin andIn andin in man many cases the farmers arc are large larse stockholders rs in the small but prosperous exchanges Investment in the independent concerns has haq been fostered b by the knowledge that In the eV every additional telephone installed immediate vicinity enhances the value and the usefulness of the tho entire system Tho The establishment of a telephone exchange exchange ex ex- change in iu a a. neighboring city increases the value of all exchanges exchange in that territory It is an entirely different proposition from that of other industrial enterprises where wheN of proximity usually means competition one form or another The fight between the so called monopolistic telephone company company com corn pany and the Independent concerns has been going on with varying bitterness ever er since the latter entered actively Into Into In In- to the field There have been many legal battles many man accusations of bribery ry of legislatures charges chargeR o ot spy systems and of nefarious and underhand warfare and the contest is still in progress but the Independents continue to grow In tn strength The rate of or increase for the trust for five Ove years has l been per percent cent while that for the independents was cent per Pam In tho the matter of determining fixed costs the establishment of an independent simple ont ent company is a a. comparatively proposition It is easy to reckon the cost of constructing a mile mUe line for a single telephone at about 63 The life of a well ell constructed constructed- telephone line is ten years By using one line for several phones a party line the cost ost is materially reduced The The only of other her item is the cost of maint maintaining main main- and operating a switchboard This t ining tt 2 fl m 7 rf t t 2 t tu w A o P. P var varies i es any r irv r A-r irom to o cents year b being ing determined det by labor condl- condl of telephones telephones telephones tele tele- number rentals and the phones served It is generally conceded that a telephone line two miles long subscriber cannot net a serving a single singh profit to the company at 24 24 a year ear rental the line lino on the same but if six parties are It I is Inthe Inthe in inthe cost can be reduced to 12 12 a year the extraordinary expenses such as the devastations by storms and the lawsuits brought by persons who have haxe been injured by falling poles or sagging wires that the element of chance plays such a largo large part in the profits of the independents Asan As Asan Asan an attorney for a tel telephone phone company has aptly expressed it It there seems to be a universal affinity between an intoxicated traveler and a telephone pole and as a consequence damace suits fults are especially numerous in wet wel states An Independent telephone enterprise in which has been in successful operation Budapest for several years has so many man of novelty that it will probably points find its way to America in th the near fu fu- fu ture The Budapest concern Is operated news telephone and is entirely distinct distinct dis dis- distinct as a service from the regular telephone owned by the government and operated under tinder the supervision of the minister of interior The news telephone its service at 8 55 in the morning when loud buzz for fifteen seconds there th re Is ill a the announcing the correct lime time At days day's program of important events is an announced an- an concerts including ceremonies lectUres plays traces races etc Between 10 and and general news 11 ii stoc stock quotations items are given At noon the buzzer once announces the correct time lime At 1245 more parliamentary news and general items of interest are recited and at 2 o'clock there is parliamentary news as well weB as the more stock quotations from Vienna Berlin and the local loca exchange At 3 S the closing stock prices are given as well as the and weather forecast Court proceedings miscellaneous news follow at 4 In the evening the tho subscriber may choose In his his' drawing dr wing room between cn sitting and listening to the opera at th the Royal hearing bearing some play This opera house e. e or u l diversion is followed Ar oy uy y music u u orchestras If Jf tho the b by one of also listen to one of or orthe he wished he lie may the military bands which play In In the gardens and cafes of the city from service the Budapest Budapest Buda Buda- For this to 6 60 O. O pest pest- citizen pa pays s 's 31 a year In addition addition addi add and of tion to the cost of installation removal which Is la abot about t Each Each tele tele- tele telephone phone is provided with two receivers so 50 o that a mans man's wife may enjoy the same privileges at the same time as tho the head of the house Quite Quito different is this service ser from 1 that which obtains in Japan where there Is always a 3 dearth of telephone Instruments instruments instruments ments and a a. prospective subscriber frequently fre Ire Is kept on the tho waiting list for hotel in Ira a years ears Recently a prominent commercial center after waiting two years ears to set get a telephone paid forthe for forthe forthe the privilege of using the line Une of a neighboring house hO The annual rental for re telephones is 25 25 which strikes one as surprisingly reasonable In Inlow vIew low of the scarcity of the supply But It should sho ld he be borne born In mind that the th user must m of often ton wait from half an hour toan to toan toan an hour I for fo or connection unless he is willing willing will wm- ing ing- to pay double rate When Whon the user of a t telephone phone in Japan is ls In a hurry hum his Ca call it Is mush mush I mush I. I In accordance with sith Instructions from rom the United States Slates senate the department of comm commerce and labor made a a. thorough h Investigation of the toe telephone companies III In the United d StAt States 8 and its report which was made public In t spring throws an interesting light upon many conditions condition ft Jt wafe wat found that the evil of preferential calls has almost entirely disappeared ared Fifteen years cars ago the telephone operators operators opera opera- tors tol's were allowed to to receive gratuities from subscribers and this brought about bout bouta a most undesirable condition of favorItism favoritism favoritism favor favor- to th the Individual l who sept eit the operator Christmas gifts or flowers and theatre tickets Now this ah abuse has al almost almost al- al most niost entirely disappeared and with most companies S operators are not allowed to give f their names to telephone users ex- ex except ex ex- ept for fOI a period of ten da days s 's or 01 two weeks before befort Christmas Some Som of I the companies do o not e even n permit this but allow thA ihA operators to t give their num bers and wh when n gifts ar are f sent nt to the ex exchange exchange lX ex- change th they r arc are distributed to those for whom they the are intended Even Een this privilege privilege privilege lege is b being ing abolished by most com com- compa pa nips In In large cities citi's where brokerage firms business s. a handle a large volume of special operator Is frequently assigned to a brokers broker's line Une during the rush ruh hours but hut as there was as no evidence that this practice Is prejudicial to the average subscriber but rather a help in that it relieves the switchboards of congestion no complaint has ever eve been made against the practice Before the telephone exchanges ex exchanges exchanges ex- ex changes h became cam such suh enormous affairs the chronic fault finding subscribers al ni- ni ways were shown special consideration an and the th growlers number on I switchboard was indicated b by a frosted green light Instead of the usual white one Whenever this green light flashed it was a an office rule that the call can should be given immediate attention In preference preference preference to all others But as th the number number number num num- num- num ber of growlers increased the impracticability impracticability of the idea as well wen as its unfairness Te resulted In an abolishment of the green glow In January 1910 there were only five local federal federa I unions of telephone operators operators operators opera opera- tors affiliated d with the American Federation Federation Federation Federa Federa- tion of Labor Strikes have been re remarkably re- re rare and have In nearly every instance been settled in less than a week These rheM unions resemble social clubs rather rath rath- er than trade unions and their relations to the managers arc are reported as generally generally generally gener gener- ally entirely friendly In pr practically all the independent tel telephone ephone companies ed in the absence of rule rules In most exchange exchange exchange ex ex- ex- ex change in which the they shall work worl and every reasonable effort is if made to get the girls into the exchanges es nearest their homes 8 Choice of tricks or operating shifts is ts usually granted each operator by the company compan rules and often is granted grant grant- ed In the of rules In most exchanges exchanges exchanges ex ex- ex- ex changes there are relief periods of fifteen fifteen fifteen teen minutes In the forenoon and afternoon after after- noon i iThe The life of the girl telephone operator operators is s generally recognized as more trying on the nerves than that of any of the theother theother theother other ordinary occupations open to wo wo- wo- wo men The work requires a constant strain on the eye constant alertness of hearing in order to understand properly the numbers called by a vast variety of voices In tn a a. great variety of tones ton 8 and lastly a great grat tax on the voice with Ith Ithan an incessant number please nT The nervous strain during the rush hours of the day is terrific with petulant subscribers subscribers sub sub- scribers constantly removing receiver arms up and down causing a click each time tim In the ear par of the operator All AU the large telephone companies now conduct schools of instruction for applicants cants and and there are more or less rl rigid ld health requirements as well wen as height specifications A girl under e fix feet tall tan has little chan change e of getting a position In a large exchange as she would be unable to r roach reach ach ov over r the big switchboard There Is also a voice A Arl girl rl must have must have a distinct and not unmusical unmusical aba enunciation A canvass of a t typical pl cal cat exchange showed that out of s seventy se enty girls sixty-nine sixty were born in this coun coun- try 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